3.2.5.1 Resource development Flashcards
Define natural resource (2)
all the original resources of the earth that’s used by people
and the range of natural services provided by these resources that support life and economic activity
define stock resources (2)
finite and non-renewable
they have taken millions of years to form and cannot be replenished over human timescales
define stock resources (1)
can be continuously replenished within human timescales, making them resources
define critical flow resources (1)
can be continuously replenished within human timescales, making them resources
examples of stock resources
fossil fuels,
copper
gold
uranium
examples of flow resources
solar energy
tidal energy
wind
examples of critical resources
north sea cod
trees
water
soil
define resource (stock resource evaluation (3)
includes all deposits of mineral resources which may be viable to extract in the future with:
-technical advances
-increase in demand for the mineral
define reserve (stock resource evaluation) (3)
deposits of minerals which can be extracted now, due to:
-being economically viable (high enough demand for profit)
-sufficient available tech
-legal entitlement to enable extraction
what factors determine the availability of resources and classification of resources and reserves?
- physical availability (pattern/quantities around the world)
-economic viability (worthwhile to extract resource? price)
-political/legal access (permission to extract?)
-environmental/sustainability concern (extraction without causing environmental damage?)
what factors determine the availability of resources and classification of resources and reserves? (arctic example) check
physical:
-minerals/resource unavailable under
ice sheet
-remote to transport
-climate challenges
economic:
-expensive to transport & extract because of remoteness/ physical conditions
political access:
-global commons, cant extract
-Antarctic Treaty
-Madrid protocol; bans mining until 2048
environmental:
-not env sustainable, fragile environment/ecosystem
Define measured reserve
-well established reserve and measured with confidence.
-sufficient tests allow grade consistency to be established
-90% or greater that minerals of high quality can be extracted
define indicated reserve
-extensive sampling provides reasonable confidence that reserve is exploitable
-sufficient testing means grade quality can be reasonably assumed
-50% chance of mineralisation
define inferred resources
-estimated based on limited sampling into the geology.
-insufficient data to justify expenditure on planning an exploitation sequence
(limited info and sampling)
-10% or greater that minerals exist and can be extracted
define possible reserves
-indicative in situ info (og info), but without sampling
-insufficient reliable data to justify exploration
-quantified deposit viability information, no sampling confidence
Describe the McKelvey Box Diagram
and state its purpose
classifying resources by their degree of geological assurance and economic recover-ability
Describe the McKelvey Box Diagram
and state its purpose
classifying resources by their degree of geological assurance and economic recover-ability
What are the key factors influencing whether a mineral resource will be exploited?
-mineral content of rock
(low grade deposits produce high waste,
high grade ore will be worked in most isolated locations/ difficult environments)
-geological conditions
(minerals found at shallow depths easier/cheaper to extract)
(e.g. Malaysia extracting tin from alluvial plains use water jets/ Cornwall unviable hard granite mass)
-accessibility in relation to markets
(low value mineral-> influenced by transport costs-> importance of bulk carrier ships
gold -> transport cost unimportant, high value/ low bulk)
- geopolitical risks: how concentrated resource is, stability of producing region (war/conflict)
Outline the process of natural resource development
- exploration of potential site
(use satellite imagery, geophysical surveys, gather field data before assessing grade of reserve)
-evaluation and environmental assessment
(fully evaluated, determine economic viability in current market and cost of production, developed nations further environmental impact assessment required before extraction)
-construction of site
(once extraction licences awarded, necessary infrastructure needs to be built to access resource, start operations
e.g. road building, laying pipelines, improve port facilities)
- operation, extraction of resource
(reserve exploited until all viable reserves recovered
lifespan of operation varies, depends on type/quantity of resource,
ongoing exploration programmes in adjacent areas may extend life of operation) - closure of site
(may not mean reserve has been completely exhausted,
residual stock may be uneconomical to recover,
valuable resources, oil, secondary/tertiary recovery operations occur, e.g. using pressurised steam to force oil to surface) - reclamation & monitoring
(developed nations, strict environmental laws,
operating organisation responsible for repairing any env damage from resource development)
define resource frontier
an area in the periphery, where resources are discovered and brought into production for the first time
what are the characteristics of a resource frontier?
-periphery environments
-natural environments with little human development
-extreme environments, technological challenges
-may be within international territory
what impact does resource peak have on
a) exploiting companies
b) general public
c) environment
a) prompt them to start other exploration missions, invest in better tech
b) rise in certain product price use/consume, since product has reached a max production
c) local- extraction area will see degradation in landscape due to excavation/transportation
global- rise in global warming from fossil fuel emissions
describe the hubbert curve
what factors effect when a peak production occurs?
availability/ discovery of reserves
development of new tech (US crude oil)
demand for the resource (rise or fall, due to research finding new uses)
grade of available resources
how accurate are Hubbert curves?
accurately predicted conventional oil production from lower 48 mainland states of USA would:
-peak between 1965- 1970
-then enter decline
but underestimated
- advances in tech,
- efficiency gains,
- effects of increasing oil prices enabled development/production of previously uneconomic oil reserves
define resource peak
This marks the point in time when the maximum production rate of a resource occurs (at all scales from individual reserves to global) with production declining in subsequent years.
what is Sustainable development
This requires a controlled system of resource management to ensure that the current level of exploitation does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
EIAs
Aims to anticipate the likely impacts of a resource extraction project on surface and ground water, soil, biota and humans
- then modify the project to try and minimise the impacts
- modify project to minimise negative impacts - may be a legal requirement dependent on country
Non critical resources
Geothermal , wind , Solar
What is resource security
National or global ability of a country to safeguard a reliable sustainable flow of resources to maintain the living standards of its population while ensuring ongoing economic and social development
EIAs resource development projects example (zambia)
- Zambia is the second largest producer of copper
- An EIA was prepared to access environmental impacts of the Lumwana Copper Project providing social and economic gains to poorer regions of less developed countries like Zambia
- environmental impacts:
- seepage through base of waste rock dumps could impact groundwater quality
- contamination of surface water from spillage
- road traffic will increase creating noise pollution
- economic and social costs:
- radiation levels comply with Zambian standards
- proactive approach through education and awareness raising will be used in local population
- upgrading the highway and pedestrian area
